Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillors McLain, Smith, Stewart, Wall and Williams.

Councillor Chard declared a personal and prejudicial interest in Agenda Item 9 as an owner of a licensed premise.

Minutes of the meeting held on 18 November 2013

Councillor Roger Whyborn proposed the following amendments to the draft minutes of Council 18 November 2013.

In Agenda item 9 (seconded by Cllr Walklett) last paragraph on page 15

After “displacement of traffic in to the St Paul’s and other areas in the town was also of concern” add the words

“A Member commented that it was essential to sort out the congestion in St Margaret’s Road, in conjunction with the traffic scheme and this had been referred to in the consultation report.  If traffic couldn’t flow freely into and through St Margaret’s Road then this would displace traffic into other areas. Other members concurred with this view.“

In Agenda item 10 (seconded by Cllr Regan) 4^th paragraph on Page 20 -

The current draft says "There were some comments about the location of a bus station within the town and also the safety of cycling within the town centre."

Proposed wording "Two members strongly advocated the provision of a bus station as part of the package, and hoped that this could be achieved. There were also concerns expressed by some about the safety of cycling within the town centre."

Resolved that the minutes as amended of the meeting held on 18 November 2013 be approved and signed as a correct record.

The Mayor reported that the IPad trial among Members was well underway.

The Mayor announced that she would be undertaking a Christmas day swim at the Lido in aid of her charities and sponsorship forms would be circulated shortly.

The Mayor paid tribute to the late Nelson Mandela and reported that a book of condolence had been opened in reception.

The Leader of the Council also paid tribute to Nelson Mandela.

The Leader referred to a recent article in the Echo which reported on a proposed suspension of emergency surgery in Cheltenham. This was obviously of concern but he clarified that this was in fact a report on an internal consultation document. He assured Members that should this evolve as an emerging consultation the council would be consulted.

The Leader reported that following the Council meeting on 18 November he had recently made a decision, on behalf of the Council, to request the County Council to progress the TRO process. He would be emailing all members to invite them to be involved in the liaison process which would comprise and members and residents. A meeting would be held in early January.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 10 December

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Tuesday 10 December

Report of the Cabinet Member Corporate Services

The Cabinet Member Corporate Services introduced the report. He explained that at Selection Council on 14 May 2012, Council resolved that all nominations for chairs and vice-chairs of committees should be made at that Council meeting rather than separate meetings of those committees immediately following Council which had been done in previous years.  

Councillor Duncan Smith was duly elected as chair of O&S. 

Councillor Garnham, as leader of the Conservative group, had advised the Chief Executive and other group leaders that Councillor Duncan Smith would be standing down as chair of O&S and Councillor Barbara Driver was the Conservative nomination to replace him. This was confirmed by Councillor Smith at the O&S meeting on 25 November when he indicated that the meeting on 9 January would be his last meeting as chair. As these appointments were made by Council it now fell to Council to appoint the new chair. Councillor Smith indicated that he would also be stepping down from the O&S committee at the same time and Councillor Chard would be taking his place.

Resolved that CouncillorBarbara Driver be appointed as Chair of Overview and Scrutiny Committee following the conclusion of the O&S meeting on 9 January 2014. 

Councillor Driver thanked Council for their support and said she would do her best as the new chair.  

Report of the Cabinet Member Housing and Safety

Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest in this item Councillor Chard left the room and did not participate in the debate.

Councillor Jeffries, as Cabinet Member Housing and Safety, introduced the report saying Cheltenham has a vibrant night-time economy that far exceeds other towns of similar sizes. The town offers a rich choice of entertainment and facilities which makes it a destination that attracts high numbers of visitors, with some travelling considerable distances to enjoy what the late night economy has to offer. The town also hosts a number of internationally renowned festivals throughout the year.

He reminded Members that although the vast majority of people visiting the town do so safely and responsibly, an active night-time economy nonetheless demands additional resource and cost for the council, police and other partners to deal with associated crime, disorder and other anti-social behaviour.  The council has set out a priority to strengthen communities by making those communities feel safe and ensuring they are safe.  By working in partnership with the police and other stakeholders it has brought forward a proposal to adopt a late night levy in Cheltenham.

He advised that the late night levy is a new discretionary power arising from Part 2 of the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011.  The levy can be charged to persons who are licensed to sell alcohol between midnight and 6am as a means for raising a contribution towards the costs of policing the late night economy.

He drew attention to the exemptions which the council could choose to apply and also the discretion as to the proportion of the funds raised, which it must allocate to the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).  The levy if adopted would raise around £200,000 before exemptions, reductions for costs and any variations.  The report outlined the consultation that had taken place and the issues that had been raised

In coming to a decision as to whether to adopt the levy the council must consider the cost of policing and the desirability of raising revenue.  The costs of policing were set out in section 8.9 of the report. It  could be seen that these costs were significant and in terms of desirability of raising the revenue, Councillor Jeffries felt that public safety and the costs of cleaning were important factors.

Section 11 of the report set out the outcomes which might be achieved with the introduction of the levy, and advised that the PCC had given assurances that if the scheme was introduced he would ensure that the money would be spent in Cheltenham.  There had been meetings with the police and the trade, who were supportive of one single programme, with an advisory group identifying how the money should be allocated.

In his summing up he reminded Members that licensees have a business choice as to whether they wish to serve alcohol after midnight and also to adopt best practice schemes and asked Members to support the recommendations as outlined  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Report of the Electoral Registration Officer

The Chief Executive, Andrew North, introduced the report and advised Members that every five years the council has to undertake a review of its polling places and polling stations and that this would be undertaken next year.  Such a review needs to consider how easy it is for voters to reach a polling station; that the station is located in the polling district it serves if at all possible; and that there is disabled access to the premises.  However, the council can consider interim reviews if it is felt that there is an issue with a specific polling station. 

Councillor Sudbury had advised him that the voters of EA polling district had felt that the proximity of the polling station needed to improve, and that she had come up with the proposal to use the Church of the Latter Day Saints.  Currently those in EA polling district vote at Sacred Hearts Church.  He advised Members that he had placed a copy of the locations on the map on the display board in the chamber and Members may wish to look at the map prior to making a decision.  Although neither he nor his team had received complaints about the use of the current location, and the ward was one with a higher turnout in elections than other wards, he was happy that the proposal would be a suitable location and therefore had undertaken an interim review.

He advised Members that there had been only two responses, although as Councillor Hall had previously indicated in her question during Member question time, there had been some issues with the information on the website.  One elector was very opposed to the suggested change of location, and the other, although happy for the station to move, had suggested the alternative location of the Lido.  The report sets out the implications of this alternative suggestion.

Given the low response rate and that there was no support for the proposal, he was recommending that the polling station should not change for voters in EA polling district but that it would be reviewed next year as part of the borough wide review.

As there were no questions the Mayor moved to the substantive debate.

Councillor Hall, as the ward councillor for the area, advised that she canvasses the area on a regular basis and listens to the issues of the electors.  Apart from one elector, the location of the polling station had not been raised as an issue.  She felt that the location of a second porta-cabin at the Lido was not an option as the car park was already congested on the day of an election.  She was pleased that no changes had been made to the polling station location and that it would form part of the borough wide review.

Councillor Sudbury explained why she had asked for the review to be undertaken.  She had been contacted by several electors, and reminded Members that the polling district goes down to College Road/Hewlett  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

Report of the Cabinet Member Finance

Councillor Rawson, Cabinet Member finance introduced the report which fulfilled two purposes; i.e. to demonstrate performance over the last six months and that the council is operating within the agreed parameters.  He advised that before the downturn the council’s treasury management played an important part in the council’s finances with investment income of around £0.75m, but with the downturn in the global economy the investment income is now very modest.  However it is still important that the Council is satisfied as to the way in which its investments and loans are being managed, and he was pleased to report that over the last six months the council has managed its cash flow in such a way that short term borrowing has been reduced.  The level of investment income was higher than predicted, due to favourable interest rates.  He pointed out that long term borrowing had increased due to the loan which had been taken out on behalf of the airport.  He referred Members to section 4.4 to 4.7 of the report which set out the position in relation to the Icelandic banks.

He concluded that the council was operating within its prudential borrowing guidelines and thanked the officers, particularly Andrew Sherbourne for his work on treasury management.  He also thanked the chair of treasury management panel, Councillor Tim Harman, and its members for their monitoring work.

There being no comments or questions the Mayor moved to the vote

RESOLVED THAT the contents of the summary report of the treasury management activity during the first six months of 2013/14 be noted.

These must be received no later than 12 noon on Monday 9 December

Motion proposed by Councillor Tim Harman and seconded by Councillor Barbara Driver

“That this Council formally records its thanks and appreciation to the many people in the Town who give of their time on a voluntary basis to help those in need and to support projects that benefit others.

Cheltenham is very fortunate to be enriched by our volunteers many of whom receive no recognition and who add such value to our Community.”

Councillor Harman proposed the following motion which was seconded by Councillor Driver:

 “That this Council formally records its thanks and appreciation to the many people in the Town who give of their time on a voluntary basis to help those in need and to support projects that benefit others.

Cheltenham is very fortunate to be enriched by our volunteers many of whom receive no recognition and who add such value to our Community.”

In proposing the motion he advised Members he had been involved in public life for 40 years and had a huge respect for those involved with volunteering.  He was always impressed with the work that individuals do and hoped Members would support this simple resolution as a way of saying Thank You to so many people.

In seconding the motion Councillor Driver said that all Members were aware of the work done by the voluntary and community sector (VCS) but her time as Mayor had opened her eyes to all the individuals who do so much. She felt they were unsung heroes and was proud of everything they do. 

Other Members, some of whom were also past mayors, supported the motion. They felt it was often the unseen volunteers who provided some of the most valuable support to communities and the town was blessed with so many dedicated individuals who are prepared to spend time within the community.  Members recognised the sometimes difficult and challenging nature of volunteering but also recognised its rewards and how individuals are passionate about their work. 

Some Members spoke about the critical role that volunteers play in society and the increasing difficulty of recruiting young volunteers and also the potential difficulty in the future with the rise in retirement age.  They felt that the motion was a good opportunity to be proactive and ensure that the message gets out in the media, not only thanking volunteers but encouraging others to volunteer.  A Member suggested that there may be some formal recognition, such as a specific church service which had been held a few years ago to celebrate the role of the VCS.

One Member speaking in support of the motion also flagged up the role of parish councillors who are also volunteers as their work in the community is important.

Another Member commending the motion, made reference to the work of the volunteers who were packing and distributing food parcels, and felt that it was appalling that such measures were required.  

The Deputy Mayor said that he thought that it was important for the council to not just recognise the work of the VCS but to actively support them and gave an example of a public transport issue which impacted on a specific charity.  He thought that the council could assist by lobbying Stagecoach to reroute the No. 94 bus.  Another Member advised that the Airport had made a similar request, as it would help not just the charity but the businesses located in the area.

A couple of Members made reference  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

The Mayor advised that she had received a petition from Chris Nelson with regards to the land at Leckhampton and the JCS. The petition would be passed to the relevant officers within the council for a response.

There were no urgent items.